The Seer: Family Reunion
by bored411
Summary: Alex begrudgingly returns home with the Doctor in tow, hoping that things will go right introducing him to her family, but nothing ever turns out perfect with the Doctor around.


**Here's the one-shot i promised! :) it's not all happy and sunshine, but it does get into a bit of Alex's feelings about her family and lots of fluff is scattered about here and there. and i'm willing to get suggests on possible future one-shots as well! anything that i probably wouldn't put in my main story, so just pm me with those ideas or leave a review here... uh... well,leave a review anyway, i suppose. it'd be nice~**

 **and if you haven't read my main Doctor Who story, then this might not make a whole lot of sense. So please read that first, if only to get a feel for my OC.**

* * *

"I-I _really_ don't think this is a good idea." I said, stepping out of the Tardis after the Doctor as he grinned happily.

"Oh, don't be such a worry wart! It'll be great!"

I groaned, shutting the door behind me. "Mm, you know, I had a friend who said that. He even stayed overnight to try and prove my sister and me wrong."

The Doctor stopped, turning his head slightly to look at me from over his shoulder. " _He_? _He_ stayed over? At _your_ house where _you_ sleep?"

"Yeah. His name was Brent and he went to school with my sister and I." I said, him frowning as I came up beside him.

"He went to _your_ school?"

"But he was convinced that it'd be great to come over and hang out." I continued, the two of us walking the short block to my house. "We tried to warn him about my siblings and stuff, but he thought we were overreacting."

"To _hang out_ with you?"

"Turns out, he promised not to come back after that next morning. Said we were right and my siblings were crazy. He was a nice guy though. Had a mad crush on my sister." I hummed out, turning when I noticed he'd stopped.

"Your _sister_!"

I raised a brow, smiling a bit. "Yeah. What? Did you think _I_ was into him?"

"No." He pouted, coming up beside me and nudging my temple with his nose as he wrapped a hand around my waist.

I pulled away though, knowing what he was doing. "No, you _did_ , didn't you! You thought I liked him!"

"I did not!" He argued, but I rolled my eyes and tugged him down for a kiss.

"You are the _only_ person I've felt like this about, Doctor." I reassured him, before pulling away completely and taking out my key to the house. "Which is why you are banned from being all touchy-feely while any of my family members are in view. And none of that cheek-kissing greeting thing. Just shake hands like a normal person."

The Doctor stopped adjusting his bow-tie as his mouth dropped open in shock.

"W-What? Why can't I be touchy-feely?!"

" _Because_. If we start doing anything, I'm going to have everyone in the room cooing and making jokes and all sorts of things. And I'd _really_ rather not have to deal with that."

"Are you… embarrassed by me?"

I immediately turned around, shaking my head.

"No! No. God, no. I could never…" I pulled a hand through my hair, seeing how he might have thought that with what I said. "I-I just… _I-I-I'm_ embarrassed." I groaned, dragging my hand down my face. "You know how I am! I-I hate being put on the spot like that."

He couldn't help but chuckle and I frowned at him as he placed a kiss on my forehead. "I'll try to restrain myself. For you."

I reluctantly nodded and opened the door as he released my waist and I headed into my home for the first time in ages. _I haven't been here the last few holidays thanks to the Doctor and everything going on, but I'm sure they'll be glad._ I hesitated calling out. _Though this will be their first time meeting him._ I chewed my bottom lip in worry. _Or even hearing about him. I told them I'd be coming, but… Oh, God. What am I thinking?!_

"A-Actually, maybe we should go back." I said, turning around to head back out the door, but he stopped me, grabbing my arms and smiling down at me.

"Alex, you will be _fine_. Nothing is going to go wrong."

"Alex?"

I gave the Doctor a dirty look, before turning to see my mother, her long dark blonde hair still damp from the shower she'd just taken.

"Um, hi, mom." I greeted, readily expecting the hug she gave me as I awkwardly pat her back. "Sorry for skipping out the last few holidays. I've been, uh… busy."

"I'm just glad you're doing well." She said, pulling away as I winced at the memory of my depression a few years back.

"Y-Yeah. Much better." I then caught her staring at the Doctor smiling behind me and I quickly introduced them. "Um, mom, this is… John. John Smith."

The Doctor held out his hand with a cheery smile. "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Holmes. Please, just call me Doctor."

My mother raised a brow at that, but I mouthed for her to just go with it and she did, thankfully.

"Well, Doctor, it's nice to meet you."

He nodded, but nudged me in the back and I frowned at him before hesitantly facing my mother.

"A-Actually, he's sort of… um… my boyfriend…"

She blinked, looking surprised and shifted her glance back and forth between us for a second before giving me a small frown; crossing her arms and making me wince.

"And _when_ were you going to tell me about this?"

"N-Now?" I meekly responded and thankfully the Doctor came up from behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist in support.

"She just didn't want to say something and things not work out." He said and my mother gave him a look that made him shrink back a bit.

"Y-You know how the brats are." I grumbled, making her turn to me. "Between them and your mother, one word of this and the whole _family_ would know and they wouldn't shut up about it."

She sighed. "Yes, alright. But they're going to know now. You know that, don't you?"

I nodded with an annoyed frown. "Yeah. I know."

"And you know how your father is."

I groaned, earning an amused look from the Doctor. "Don't remind me."

There was a jingle of bells then and I immediately perked up as a black cat rounded the corner, making me grin and hold my arms out.

"Mochi!"

The cat bounded over and rubbed up against my outstretched hand as I knelt down and scratched his head; turning to the Doctor.

"This is my cat, Mochi. He can be a bit of a brat sometimes, and plays rough, so watch out for that."

He knelt down and let Mochi sniff him before the cat rubbed up against his hand too. "Seems nice enough."

"Mm, you should see him at 5am." My mother said with a bit of a groan. "He's running all _over_ the house."

I perked up then. "Is Jack here too?"

The Doctor frowned, but I ignored him as my mother nodded.

"I think your brother is playing with him out back. Getting his energy out before we leave tomorrow."

I grinned, grabbing the Doctor's hand and tugging him down the hall towards the family room where the double doors to the backyard were.

"Come on!"

He waved at my laughing mother as we hurried out back, my grandmother coming out of her room and looking at me in surprise.

"Alex? Who is that?"

"I'll tell you later, grandma!" I called out, opening the doors and looking around to see no one. "Jack! Jack, guess who's home?!"

There was a pause before thundering footsteps could be heard heading our way from around the corner and a _huge_ grey colored Great Dane bounded around; skidding slightly on the grass before making a beeline right towards us.

"Ah-ah!" I said sternly, holding a fist up. "Stay!"

The dog skid to a halt and stood before me; the Doctor cowering behind me as the dog panted and wagged his tail excitedly.

"Sit!"

The dog sat, tilting his head slightly to spot the Doctor, only for me to grab his attention once more.

"Up!"

Excitedly, the dog stood up on his hind legs, placing his massive paws on my shoulders as I laughed and pet him affectionately.

"Oh, how's my big buddy Jack, eh?" I asked, earning a loud bark in response as the dog hopped down and rolled onto his back for belly rubs. "Ooh, look at my big boy. I hope my brother hasn't been spoiling you."

"Alex?" Said brother called out in surprise, rounding the corner with a slobbery soccer ball tucked under an arm. "Mom didn't say you were coming over for this thing. How'd she manage to drag you home?"

I gave him a look. "Nice to see you too bro."

He smiled a bit, before raising a brow at the Doctor; who was still eyeing Jack nervously. "Who's this?"

"John. John Smith. You can just call him Doctor." I answered, looking around for anyone else who might be listening in. "We're sort of… you know. Together."

It took him a second to process that, before he smirked and nudged me. "It's about time! Have you told grandma yet?"

I scoffed. "You kidding? I'm doing everything I can just to keep away from her. You know how she is."

"Yeah. Remember when I first brought Jessica over?" He said with a groan. "She wouldn't _stop_ talking about us."

"And she kept calling her Jennifer." I pointed out, making him laugh.

"Yeah, I remember."

I turned to see the Doctor having a sort of stare down with Jack and snorted.

"Doctor, he's not a monster, you know. He may look scary, but he's just a big teddy bear, honest."

The Doctor frowned. "But you called him Jack."

I nodded. "Short for Jackson. _Not_ named after our friend Jack. Here." I took the soccer ball from my brother and passed it to him as he grimaced at the slime on it. "Go get to know him. Play soccer for a bit while I go around and let the _others_ know who you are."

He looked a little worried at that, ignoring the ball and turning to me. "You sure?"

I nodded with a sigh, pulling my hand through my hair. "Yeah. Might as well get it out of the way now rather than later."

He nodded, turning to Jack awkwardly. "Jack, uh… fetch?"

He kicked the ball across the yard and Jack eagerly went after it, making the Doctor lighten up a bit, before giving me a side hug and kissing my temple.

"I'll be waiting for you to show me around later."

I nodded, playfully shoving him off. "Yeah, yeah. Go play with Jack."

He nodded and bounded off after my dog, the two of them being a strangely good match for each other, and my brother hummed, making me turn to him with a frown.

"What?"

"Nothing." He said quickly, turning to head back inside.

"No, that wasn't nothing." I argued, following after him. "You hummed. That hum that says you found something amusing."

He shrugged. "Just you and your new boy toy. He's a bit weird, but suits you, I guess."

I punched him in the shoulder, making him laugh. "He's not my _boy toy_. And you better not be like the rest of the brats, Patty. No teasing us, or I'll tell mom about the _magazines_ you've got hidden away in that old xbox you stripped."

He made a face. "Don't call me Patty. It's _Patrick_."

"I'll call you Patty if I want to, Patty." I smirked. " _Or_ I might call you Patrick if you keep your mouth shut about the Doctor and I."

He sighed. "Fine. But the same goes for Jessica and me. It's bad enough the brats are constantly bugging her."

"No kidding." I grumbled. "Now imagine how they'll be with the Doctor."

He snorted. "A new toy for them to play with. Might actually give Jessica a break for once. Though I feel bad for him."

"Yeah, I've got mixed feelings about it." I said, glancing out the double doors to see the Doctor happily romping around with Jack. "He might be uncomfortable with grandma and them asking questions, but he might actually _like_ dealing with the brats." I turned back to my brother with a wrinkle of my nose. "He's a _big_ kid person."

"You mean he likes kids or he _is_ a kid?" My brother joked and I chuckled.

"Both."

* * *

The Doctor grinned happily, patting Jack on the head as the dog panted and he reentered the house, searching for Alex. She found him though, and groaned.

"Oh, I should have known you'd get dirty somehow." She complained, pointing at the Doctor. "Stay."

He did as she said with a chuckle as she walked off and returned with a towel for him and Jack. She passed him a towel and proceeded to get the dirt and mud off of Jack as she spoke.

"You can go ahead and shower in my parent's bathroom and I'll go and grab another set of clothes for you from the Tardis." She turned to him and pointed sternly. "But _no_ coming out of the bathroom until I give you your clothes. The last thing I need is you walking around in a towel and setting off my dad and everyone else."

"Did you tell them yet?" He asked curiously and she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Unfortunately, yes. Everyone over eighteen in this house knows. My grandmother is already asking questions. My sister is already snickering and on the prowl to check you out herself, and I've managed to make a deal with my brother to keep his mouth shut, but that means nothing for everyone else, so—"

The Doctor cut her off with a kiss and she frowned at him, cheeks red.

"I thought you said you'd restrain yourself?" She muttered and he smiled, brushing a thumb over her cheek.

"I thought you said only if someone was in view?"

She frowned and he knew that he got her there, chuckling.

"Just relax, Alexander." He hummed, kissing her forehead and pulling away as he sent a wave of comfort over her. "Don't worry so much. We'll both be fine and I'll support you no matter what."

She let out a soft sigh and relaxed, nodding. "Alright. I'll do what I can. You just… go shower and _try_ to avoid my grandmother."

He chuckled with a nod and she pointed out her parent's room before heading out the door. As he showered though, he couldn't help but think and worry. Alex was acting much like her younger self while here and it kind of bothered him. _Is it because it's her family? It's the first time she's had someone close to her and introducing them to her family can be a bit nerve wracking, but… it's almost as if she just isn't comfortable here._ He scowled, remembering the tales of her family that she'd shared with him before and wondered if that might be a part of it. If her family had just downgraded her self-worth enough so that even being in her own home was uncomfortable. _It's probably why she moved to England in the first place. Just to get away from the stress. And it would explain her mood change here._ He mused, drying his hair with a towel around his waist as there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Doctor, I brought your clothes. I'll go ahead and leave them by—"

He ignored her and opened the sliding door, cutting her off with another kiss that made her ears turn pink as she glanced down at his upper body and quickly back up again.

"Thank you, dear." He said with a smug smile at sneaking in another kiss; taking his clothes as her cheeks darkened a shade more and she glanced at the other door in worry.

"Sh!" She shushed him. "If my sister over hears…"

He chuckled as he bopped her on the nose. "I'll keep quiet. But you need to get something to relax you a bit. You're tensing up again."

"I'll grab one of my sodas." She pouted with a grumble. "There's no alcohol, tea, _or_ coffee allowed here."

He raised a brow. "Really? Not even tea?"

She shook her head. "Only herbal. My parents are super religious and I'm lucky I get away with my caffeinated sodas."

"Hm, could you grab some tea from the Tardis then?" He asked her and she nodded.

"Will do. Just hang out in the living room or something." She said, before pausing. "And if a tiny little red-head comes over to bother you, ignore her. She's a bit… Let's just say she's too curious for her own good."

"Much like someone else I know." He laughed as Alex smiled a little and headed out; leaving him to change and move into the living room to see how their television worked.

 _Ooh, that's a lot of channels._ He mused, looking through them and the recorded shows, finally settling on one that Alex had mentioned before, with a certain curly haired detective. He only looked away from the screen when he felt the couch sink down beside him and he turned to see a little red-headed girl about six years old sit beside him.

" _And if a tiny little red-head comes over to bother you, ignore her."_

He blinked and the girl turned to look up at him, a scar on her forehead visible just under her bangs when she tilted her head.

"Who're you?" She asked and he smiled nervously.

"Ah, I'm a good friend of your sister's."

Her eyes narrowed. "Which one?"

"Which sister?" He questioned back, remembering that Alex had a large number of siblings; most of which were girls. "I'm Alex's friend."

The girl grinned then, a gap in her smile where a tooth had fallen out recently. "Are you her boyfriend? You are, aren't you? Alex never brings a boy to our house unless they're one of Sandy's friends too." The girl leaned in and whispered like she was telling a secret. "She's my other big sister, but I like Alex better. But don't tell her."

The Doctor smiled. "Course not. I'll keep it secret, _if_ you can keep my secret."

The little girl nodded excitedly. "Uh-huh. I'm _very_ good at keeping secrets."

"Okay. Well…" He looked around and leaned in, whispering also. "I actually _am_ Alex's boyfriend."

The girl gasped dramatically. "You _are_? Do you kiss and stuff? Are you going to get married too?"

He looked around again, before pulling a small box out of his pocket and showing her the ring he had. "Don't tell her though, okay? I haven't proposed yet and if you tell her, it'll ruin the surprise."

The little girl nodded excitedly as he tucked the ring away and Alex poked her head around the corner with a frown.

"Oi, Jennette. You and Catherine promised to empty the dishwasher while I'm making the fruit salad, so hop to it and leave the Doctor alone."

"Okay!" The girl chirped, jumping off the couch and waving at the Doctor. "Bye, Mr. Doctor person!"

He waved a little at her, finding her cute with her seemingly innocent questions, but he could sense a mischievousness to the girl that made him understand why Alex was hesitant about her. He paused the recording he had been watching though, and made his way into the kitchen. Alex was in there with his back to him, cutting peaches over a colander in the sink. Seeing his chance, he held up a finger to his lips to keep Jennette and her other sister Catherine quiet, and he snuck up behind Alex and wrapped his hands around her waist, making her stiffen for a second before relaxing.

"You know, if this wasn't a butter knife, I might have just lost a finger." She snipped at him, before glaring at the two giggling girls next to them. "Shut it, you two. Or I'll make you fill it too."

Catherine stuck her tongue out at her, but they went back to emptying the dishwasher as the Doctor hummed and didn't release his grip on Alex.

"So, what is this fruit salad you mentioned? Is it good?"

Alex nodded, leaning back into him a bit as he spotted the soda can on the counter next to the sink. "Yeah. My friends and family like it well enough. It's lots of different kinds of fruits, whipped cream, sour cream, and jello powder."

The Doctor made a face at that. "Jello _powder_?"

She nodded. "Sounds gross, right? But the way we make it, it's good. The powder just gives it a bit more flavor and changes the color from white to a pinkish shade. And the sour cream actually makes it taste better. Gives it more tang and a little less sweetness."

"Hm, sounds interesting."

She shrugged. "You'll probably like it."

"What else are we having?" He asked curiously, starting to sway a bit with her.

"Not sure. Hamburgers, I think. A cheese platter and a veggie platter, usually. Salad, rolls. Just things you'd have at any family reunion, I guess. I just make this and my relatives take care of their own thing. I'll join you in a second. This doesn't take long."

"Why are you doing this now then?"

"Because we're supposed to let it sit in the fridge overnight before we add the whipped cream and sour cream. And if I don't do it now, someone's going to nag me about doing it later."

"Mm, well aren't you two cute.~" Someone said from behind them and the Doctor's mouth turned into a small frown when Alex stiffened and immediately squirmed out of his hold.

"Whatever, Sandy." She grumbled, moving over and opening a drawer to pull out a hand towel and dry her hands. "Nobody asked you."

Sandy frowned in return, moving past her and reaching up to a cupboard to grab a cup. "Yeah, well, now you know how the rest of us feel. It's about time you grabbed someone for yourself so you can get a taste of this."

"I never teased _you_ when you brought your boyfriends over." Alex complained and Sandy scoffed, pulling out a container of grape juice from the fridge as she eyed the Doctor.

"Sure. But how'd you end up with him? Seems out of your league, if you ask me." She said with a smirk, looking the Doctor up and down.

And he half expected Alex to snap and get upset with her, like she would've done if it was someone else like River eyeing him like a piece of meat, but she didn't.

"Doesn't matter." Alex grumbled instead, averting her eyes as she poured the peaches into a large bowl nearby with some other fruit in it.

The Doctor furrowed his brows, watching her and trying to figure out what was going on as he mentally nudged her, but she brushed it off as Sandy sauntered up to him; standing just a bit too close for comfort.

"So, _Doctor_. What are you a Doctor of, exactly?"

"O-Oh, well, you know…" He said, trying to inch away from her. "…things."

She snorted. "Funny."

He looked at Alex for some sort of help, but then an elderly woman walked in with a grin.

"So you are the Doctor then?"

"That's me!" The Doctor said, scrambling away from Sandy and silently grateful for the escape. "Hello!"

"Well, it's nice to meet you." She gave Alex a look. "I hope Alex has been treating you properly."

"Oh, yes!" He said, smiling away, though something about the way her grandmother said it made him bristle. "She's brilliant!"

"Mm." Her grandmother hummed, smiling at him. "Well, help yourself to anything you want. Alex doesn't _drive_ , unfortunately, or you could go out to eat." She complained, making Alex stiffen.

"I don't _like_ diving, grandma. I've told you that a million times already."

Her grandmother rolled her eyes. "And instead of getting a license, you ran off to England to avoid the problem." She turned to the Doctor then. "She has to be driven everywhere, can you believe that?"

"Grandma." Alex said, a bit of bite in her tone. "Isn't one of your shows on today? It's almost eight."

"Oh! I nearly forgot." She said, scuttling off as Alex put the bowl into the fridge. "Sandy, are you coming or should I record it?"

"I'm coming!" Sandy called out, smiling at the Doctor and waving before heading off.

There was a bark then and Alex turned to head out of the kitchen.

"I better take Jack out to go to the restroom."

"I'll come with you." The Doctor said, only for her to pull away.

"No!" She winced at how loudly she'd said it, turning away as the Doctor slowly dropped his arm. "Sorry, I just… I just need to be alone for a bit."

The Doctor reluctantly let her go, knowing that she calmed down better on her own, but also having a plan running through his head to try and make it up to her for everything that was going on. She _obviously_ wasn't comfortable here and he could now see why. Between her grandmother poking jabs at her and her sister doing the same, it was no wonder she'd sort of reverted back into her old self. He could understand how hard it would be to confront them about this, seeing as they were her family, but he was nearly at his breaking point and if need be, he would take things into his own hands. _Let's just hope her extended family is less cruel._

* * *

I groaned as I dropped my head into my hands, hating how I just treated the Doctor and how I was acting. _Why? Why am I like this? Why can't I just…_ A wet nose nudged my hand away from my face with a whine and I sighed, petting Jack and squishing his face as I frowned.

"What am I going to do, Jack?"

He barked and I shook my head with a small smile, patting his head and getting up from the plastic garden chair I'd sat in, and heading back inside. I jumped though, when I nearly ran into the Doctor, who smiled happily; making guilt well up in me.

"Better?"

I hesitantly nodded, muttering an apology. "Sorry. I just…"

He shook his head, tugging me to his chest in a hug and resting his chin on my head. "No, I understand. Come on." He smiled down at me. "I snuck in some of your favorites."

I gaped at him. "No. You didn't! What am going to do if my mother or one of my siblings sees some green fruit lying around?!"

He winked, reaching into his coat and pulling one out. "Well, just say it's foreign."

I snorted, unable to not find that funny and took the fruit. "Alright. I'm sure that will fool them." I said sarcastically.

"Hey, you never know." He chuckled, pulling out a book as well. "Brought your favorite book too, and there's some nice hot tea waiting for us in the kitchen. Would you like to join me on the porch?"

 _Damn him, knowing all of my weaknesses._ I mused with a smile, kissing him despite what I'd told him before.

"I would _love_ to."

* * *

The Doctor smiled down at the sleeping Alex softly, her having fallen asleep as he read aloud to her outside; his tweed jacket draped over the two of them. _I'm glad she relaxed, though I doubt tomorrow will be better._ His smile dropped into a sad frown as he brushed a stray hair from her face. _I'll do what I can to help her though. I'm not going to sit back like today. I'm not going to let them hurt her anymore, family or not._ The door opened then and he stiffened, turning and seeing Alex's mother, who gestured towards Alex.

"Is she asleep?"

He hesitated, but nodded as she headed over with a nod, arms crossed to hold off the chill of the night air.

"I apologize for our family." She said, sitting on a rocking chair nearby. "They're not exactly subtle when it comes to satisfying their curiosity."

The Doctor frowned down at Alex. "I'm not bothered by that."

She followed his gaze and sighed softly. "I assumed that she wouldn't take things so easily. Our family has always been a little… insensitive, but they don't mean it. They're rather clueless as to when their words can become harmful and it doesn't help that Alexander doesn't really show when that happens."

The Doctor couldn't help but agree to that, silently wondering what Alex's feelings towards her mother were, seeing as she doesn't exactly get along with the rest of her family too well. Her mother smiled softly, getting up.

"I'm glad she found you though. She's never been one for seeking out others and she's one of those who won't settle for anyone unless they're perfect for her. Thank you for taking care of her."

He nodded, smiling a bit in return as he picked Alex up and she muttered in her sleep, wrapping her arms around his neck; snuggling closer as her mother chuckled quietly.

"She definitely cares a lot about you."

He smiled down at Alex fondly. "And I her."

* * *

I woke up in a cold sweat, the remnants of my nightmare fading from my mind as I tried to calm my frantically beating hearts. I took a shaky breath, doing what I could to stay quiet now that I realized I was in my bed in my old room; Sandy and my other sister Michelle asleep across from me in their beds. _It's like my depression all over again._ I shivered at the chill that went down my spine, remembering the nights where I hid under the covers, depressed enough that I was struggling to stifle my sobs. Just the thought of it made me curl up a little, and I tried to go back to sleep, but after half an hour of tossing and turning, I begrudgingly got up. I pulled my blanket tighter around my shoulders and left my room, closing the door quietly behind me, only to jump when someone spoke up.

"Can't sleep?"

I frowned at the Doctor, who was smugly smiling at me, obviously pleased that he'd spooked me.

"No. Not really." I grumbled, moving towards the living room as he followed behind me; his smile faltering.

"Nightmare?"

I stiffened, but nodded, sitting on the couch as he joined me and tucked me into his side.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head, leaning on him and already feeling a little sleepy. "It's the same as the usual nightmares." I grumbled, yawning. "Mm, fine."

He nuzzled my head with his nose, curling around me as we lounged back on the couch and he pulled a second blanket over us.

"You most certainly are _not_ fine, but I will do everything I can to make sure you _are._ "

I smiled a little, closing my eyes. "Mm, I think that's the cheesiest thing you've ever said."

I could feel him pouting at me, and I peered an eye open, kissing his jaw.

"But I love you, Theta."

He smiled again and snuggled closer, the two of us curling up on the couch together and slipping back to sleep; nightmare free. I was woken up though, by something cold and slightly wet touching my cheek. I wrinkled my nose and nuzzled closer into the Doctor's chest, only for a fuzzy paw to pat my face. I peered open an eye and gave Mochi a dark glare for waking me up, pushing the cat off me and trying to go back to sleep, only to hear the pitter patter of feet and the whiney voices of my overly excited siblings. _It's_ far _too early for this._ I mentally groaned, ducking further under the blanket and tightening my grip on the Doctor. It was useless though, when my youngest sister came up and lifted the covers off me.

"Are you sleeping, Alex?"

"Yes." I grumbled, pulling the covers back over as the Doctor chuckled; having been awoken by my sister as well.

There was silence for a few moments, before the covers were lifted once more.

"Alex, you awake now?"

I sighed loudly, the Doctor laughing once more as I begrudgingly sat up and pulled a hand through my messy hair.

"Yes, Kirsty. I'm awake." I muttered, yawning as the Doctor got up and ruffled my hair.

"How about I make us all some breakfast?"

I nodded, blinking wearily as I tucked my blanket tighter around me; him smiling and kissing my temple before scooping up Kirsty with a grin.

"What do you think, Kirsty? Do you want some breakfast?"

"I want bacon!" She cheered, making the Doctor wince.

"Uh, how about something else? I can make excellent omelets."

I couldn't help but snicker at that, remembering the last time he attempted to make bacon and how he nearly burnt the kitchen at Amy and Rory's to the ground. _And yet his omelets are heavenly._ I shook my head, getting up off the couch and heading to my room where I changed into some jeans, a white printed tee shirt, and a dark green button up shirt left open to show off the silver dog tag around my neck. After fixing my hair in the restroom, I headed into the dining room with a yawn; plopping down at the table and resting my chin on the wood until an omelet was placed before me.

"Mm." I grunted in thanks as the Doctor smiled and sat beside me; Cathrine, Kirsta, Jennette, and Michelle sitting at the table as well with their own omelets.

Various compliments were passed around as the rest of my family eventually woke and either joined us or went about preparing everything to leave. Not wanting to be trapped in a noisy car, the Doctor and I took the Tardis to the park where my family reunion was happening; parking near the duck pond.

"Okay, some things you need to know before we get dragged into the family drama." I said, the two of us walking towards the tables where the rest of my extended family had gathered. "First off, I have no idea who everyone is."

"What?" He asked with a curious tilt of his head.

I sighed. "I remember some names and some faces, but have a hard time matching them to my relatives."

He furrowed his brows. "How many are there?"

"Dozens." I grumbled. "My grandmother has ten siblings, most of which have their own kids, who have _their_ own kids… It gets complicated."

"Ah." He said in understanding as I went on.

"Point is, watch out for my uncle Josh. He's a bit… flamboyant and tends to talk your ear off, gossip to everyone else, and can't keep a secret for the life of him. The rest are pretty cool though. Aunt Mary is nice and Aunt Laura is easy to talk to. Uncle Ben is a car fanatic and Uncle Arthur is really into philosophy. But if you want introductions, you'd be better off asking my mother. I always confuse Uncle Ted and Uncle Tommy. And there's one aunt who's name I can never remember and don't even ask me about nieces and nephews. I honestly have no idea."

He chuckled, giving my hand a squeeze as we approached where everyone was at. My mother was nice enough to do introductions for me, but I couldn't help the unease that started to settle itself into my stomach. _Oh, I hope this turns out alright…_

* * *

The Doctor smiled happily chatting away with one of Alex's aunts as she described some sort of potato salad that was on the table. He grabbed a spoonful to try before turning to look over his shoulder at Alex. She was glaring rather intently at a bingo card at another table and he couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face at seeing her slightly more relaxed. _Though that bingo card better watch out. It might just catch fire if she glares at it any longer._ He chuckled softly and sat down to eat, idly watching Alex's expressions change as her bingo game progressed and glancing on occasion towards her younger siblings playing tag nearby. Unfortunately, Sandy sat close beside him with a smile; her own food on a plate in front of her.

"So, you and Alex, huh?"

He glanced at her, but nodded, saying nothing as he chewed on his hamburger. _Which is very good. It's got this taste to it. Maybe because it was cooked over coals?_

"What is it you like about her anyway?" Sandy asked, munching on a chip. "It's not like she's super smart or interesting or anything. She dresses like a guy too." Sandy leaned forward as the Doctor's eyebrow twitched, doing what he could to keep from snapping at Alex's sister. "So, tell me. Are you two _really_ dating? I mean, you seem like a pretty nice guy, decent looking and all, so it wouldn't surprise me if you two are just—"

" _Enough_." The Doctor snapped, his patience spent. "I _love_ Alexander. I don't care that she's masculine. She's beautiful and smart and I won't listen to you downgrade her any longer. Family or not. Do you understand?"

Sandy's mouth opened and closed like a fish at that, the Doctor not waiting for an answer as he got up and headed to Alex, who smiled up at him and showed him her prize from the bingo game before tugging him over to a group of jars with candy in them.

"You're supposed to guess how much candy is in them and the person closest gets the jar."

The Doctor picked one up and looked it over. "Shouldn't be too hard if you just use the proper math. Like this one should have about—"

"No!" She said loudly, snatching the jar from him with a frown. "Don't tell me. I want to figure it out."

"Of course." He said, kissing her temple and enjoying how her ears turned red in embarrassment and she pawed at him to stop.

He sat beside her and watched her work things out on her own, pointing out a few mistakes here and there, but she was understanding the concept and should be able to get rather close to the right number; impressing him.

"You're very good at math."

She nodded, nearly done working through the math. "Love math. Got all the way to calculus in high school. I just didn't care for charts and graphs. They got complicated when you added in parabolas and stuff."

"What was your favorite?"

She paused, humming. "Probably when you have to figure out what the value of a letter is."

He chuckled. "You and your mysteries."

She shrugged, smiling as she finally got her answer and writing it down on the paper for the jar. Once she was finished, she let out a sigh and the Doctor grabbed her hand.

"Want to take a walk?"

She smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I do."

He grinned and the two of them headed off; Alex giving her mother a small wave as they headed towards the duck pond.

"We're not going to do that silly couple thing where we feed the ducks and hold hands while giggling, are we?" She asked suddenly and he tilted his head.

"Why? Do you want to?"

A red tint quickly moved up her cheeks and she turned away with a grumble. "No…"

Playing innocent, the Doctor reached into his coat pocket with his free hand—the other holding Alex's.

"Well, I wonder what I'm going to do with this bread then."

Alex turned to him, seeing him struggling to hold back his smile, and frowned; playfully smacking him.

"I hate you."

He chuckled, knowing she didn't mean it. "And I love you very much."

She sighed, but the two of them settled down on the grass and easily attracted the nearby ducks; Alex laughing at the Doctor when a duck proceeded the jump at him for the slice of bread he was holding captive. Little did they know, Alex's mother and father were watching them from a bit further off.

"I don't like him." Her father grumbled, eyes narrowed at the Doctor.

Her mother sighed. "You _never_ like the people our children bring over."

He crossed his arms over his chest, giving her a look. "Remember Mark?"

"I never said Sandy's choices in men was right, but you should give Alex a chance. You know how she is. She would never pick someone who wasn't decent to her."

"I still don't like him." Her father complained.

"Do you at least have a reason?" Her mother countered. "With you, it's always just a 'feeling'."

"Mm, he smiles too much."

Her mother snorted. "Really? You don't like him because he _smiles_?"

He shook his head. "There's just something about it. Like he's hiding something."

"But look at her." Her mother said, gesturing to Alex as she playfully pushed the Doctor with a laugh. "She happy. For the first time in _ages_ , she's happy and has someone who cares about her, and isn't that enough?"

His frown softened slightly, before he sighed and pulled a hand through his hair in a familiar manner. "Fine. But I'm still suspicious."

"Just leave the two of them alone. Let them have some time _without_ the constant teasing."

He wrinkled his nose, but begrudgingly gave in; the two leaving the couple to their private moment alone.

* * *

I sighed, completely relaxed as the Doctor massaged my shoulders; kneading at that tense bundle of nerves in my shoulder and making me practically melt in his arms.

"Mm, I don't know where you learned to do this, but my _God_ is it amazing."

The Doctor chuckled. "I'm just glad you're happy."

I looked up at him, ashamed. "Sorry. I didn't meant to get all…" I looked back down. "…you know. My family just… I love them and all, but…"

"They make you uncomfortable." He answered for me, wrapping me in his arms and resting his head on my shoulder. "It's alright, you know. But you shouldn't let it get to you. You've changed so much from who you were then to who you are now. And you shouldn't let some of their comments get you down when I _know_ you can be better than what they say."

"It's just hard." I muttered, leaning into him. "They're my family, so I don't want to disappoint them or make them upset. And I don't want to be selfish, but… I just want them to be happy for me."

"Your mother is." He responded and I smiled a bit.

"Yeah. She's like that." My smile slipped though. "But she's the one I don't want to disappoint the most."

"If it makes you feel better…" The Doctor said, changing the subject. "I think I may have upset your sister."

I looked up at him as he smiled down awkwardly at me. "Which one?"

"Sandy."

I snorted. "Did you tell her off?"

"Well… yes."

I chuckled, smiling up at him; all previous mention of bad memories forgotten. "You should have gotten a picture. I bet her face was priceless."

He smiled as well. "Oh, it was."

He leaned his forehead against mine and I caught a glimpse of Sandy's expression in his mind, making me laugh, before reaching up and kissing him.

"Oh, you are the _best_ boyfriend ever."

He raised a brow. "Better than my Tenth self?"

"Well, he _was_ upset with me for half that regeneration, so I suppose so." I said, enjoying the way his smile lit up his face at that.

"Excellent!"

I laughed as I stood up, holding out a hand to help him up as well. "Come on. If you're lucky, I think my aunt will let you join in for the kid games."

"Ohh! What kind of kid games?"

"Water balloon tosses and stuff like that. Believe me, they're right up your alley."

He got up and wrapped an arm around my waist, nudging my temple with his nose. "And you'll play too?"

"Only if you're good." I grinned back, kissing him again before we headed off to have some fun.

* * *

The Doctor snuggled with the snoozing Alex, who was worn out from playing with the kids and him; the two of them lying on a blanket as the sun began to set. He'd seen many side to Alex while here, and he couldn't help but want to see even more. He loved the stern, yet caring side of her that he saw while she dealt with her siblings. How she interacted with her different relatives; some with uncertainty and others confidently. And sure, she wasn't comfortable at first, but he could tell that she was feeling much better now about everything and as he checked the ring box in his pocket once more, he couldn't help the small smile that flittered across his face; _knowing_ that this was the right choice. _And I couldn't be happier to share my life with her._


End file.
